Liberty Tennis Holds Clinic for Area Students

The Liberty men's and women's tennis teams are both coming off highly successful fall seasons. Members of both teams, along with the coaches, recognize that success on the court is not the sole purpose of being a part of the Liberty tennis program. The teams recognize that giving back to the community and sharing their gifts and abilities is also vitally important. Both squads recently exemplified this belief, as they held their annual clinic for Lynchburg homeschool students on Dec. 2-5 at the Sports Racket indoor tennis facility. This year marked the 11th year that Liberty has hosted the event.

Dozens of students, ranging in ages from 7-16, attended the four-day clinic. Liberty's men's tennis coach Chris Johnson organized and ran the event, along with women's head coach Jeff Maren and men's and women's assistant coaches Rich Benson and Giancarlo Lemmi. Members of both the men's and women's teams provided instruction and tips to the students.

During the daily two-and-a-half hour sessions, participants were divided into groups based on experience. Each group was put through drills and exercises by members of the men's and women's squads. Following the conclusion of each session, Johnson brought all of the students together for a final motivational message before dismissing the students.

The following is a testimonial from a parent:

"I have gotten comments from parents saying their kids had a wonderful time and want to continue to play tennis. There were a couple of kids who weren't very excited about coming at first, but after the first day, were looking forward to coming back. Many parents have complimented the coaches and team members because of the way they encouraged the kids and interacted with them. One parent told me that she and her husband decided to send their children to Liberty because of what they've seen in the team members and coaches during the clinic. The homeschoolers are so appreciative of your investment in our families."

Both the Flames and Lady Flames open the 2014 spring season on January 18th against Morehead State. The matches will take place at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.